KUCHING: The Sarawak government is committed to implementing policies aimed at distributing wealth and ensuring that everyone benefits from the state’s development and economic growth.
According to Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, even though Sarawak has achieved high-income status as recognised by the World Bank, it is solely due to its revenue.
Abang Johari said more efforts and policies are needed to increase household income in Sarawak.
“Our state’s income has significantly increased, surpassing the World Bank’s threshold for gross national income (GNI),” he said.
“However, it’s important to note that this refers to our state’s income and not our household income. Therefore, we are now focusing on redistributing our wealth and creating high-paying jobs to boost household incomes.”
Speaking at the launch of the Falak Nusantara Carnival at Kuching Waterfront yesterday (July 8), Abang Johari emphasised that it would be meaningless if the state’s wealth did not reach and benefit the people. To address this, the government is placing greater emphasis on wealth distribution.
According to him, one approach to achieving this is through taxation. The government plans to introduce higher taxes for those making greater profits.
Additionally, the government will implement other financial instruments and policies under the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), aimed at increasing average household incomes in Sarawak.
Recently, World Bank lead economist Apurva Sanghi confirmed Sarawak’s high-income status, with a gross national income (GNI) per capita of over US$13,205 (RM61,442). This places Sarawak alongside Penang and the federal territories of Labuan and Kuala Lumpur.
